Wireless electronic devices, especially those with a high degree of portability while in use, are becoming increasingly popular. Wireless electronic devices, also referred to radio devices, may include mobile telephones, voice radios (e.g., push-to-talk devices and devices used by emergency responders), computing devices (e.g., laptop computers, tablet devices, and personal digital assistants), gaming devices, and so forth.
A challenge for these devices is providing reliable, high speed network access. This challenge is sometimes not caused by a lack of resources, but rather by an inefficient management and/or allocation of access to spectrum resources for wireless communications since spectrum tends to be segmented into artificial categories. One example may be found in the way spectrum for mobile telephone service providers is allocated where spectrum licensed to a first provider is completely separate (e.g., in frequency) from spectrum licensed to a second provider. Another example may be found in the way that public safety agencies (e.g., police, fire, ambulance, homeland security, etc.) are allocated spectrum that is completely separate from spectrum licensed to a commercial network operator.
In simple terms, the challenge may be described with respect to FIG. 1, which shows a chart of spectrum reliability versus cost. Typically, to gain high reliability, one must pay a higher cost (e.g., by licensing spectrum for one's own use). But users desire the highest reliability possible at the lowest cost to access the resource, and/or may not be interested in licensing spectrum. In this sense, users will attempt to gravitate to the top left of the diagram. But users with a pressing need for spectrum will be pushed toward the right of the diagram.
Another underlying issue is that many spectrum licensees may have excess capacity but are unwilling to allow others to use the spectrum in case a need for the spectrum arises. For instance, commercial network service providers, such as mobile telephone service providers, may be able to support more radio devices in a location than the service provider ordinarily services. Another example is that emergency responders may have spectrum use rights that are under-utilized, sometimes even during limited periods of time when an emergency event occurs.